Including People with Disabilities in Actions to Reduce Poverty and Hunger

According to the United Nations (UN), there are approximately 650 million people with disabilities in the world, and at least 80 percent of them live in developing countries. More often than not, they are among the poorest of the poor. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in 2006, defines such persons as “those who have longterm physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (Article 1). Recent World Bank estimates suggest that as many as one in five of the world’s poorest people has a disability. While prevalence is difficult to measure effectively, it appears that about 10–12 percent of the population in developing countries lives with disabilities, and 2–4 percent with severe disabilities. Males at all ages have higher levels of disability, and the prevalence increases dramatically across the world in people older than 60. People with disabilities are not a homogeneous group. The following groups are particularly vulnerable: